Phytochemical Constituents of Flour and Composite Bread from African Palmyra (Borassus aethiopum) Fruit from Ghana

Aims: To explore the use of Borassus aethiopum fruit as composite flour and bread and determine the phytochemical composition in each product.

Place and Duration: Department of Biochemistry, and Department of Food science food and sensory evaluation laboratory, between September, 2016 and April, 2017.

Study Design: An experimental study.

Methods: The African palmyra fruits were obtained from Sekyere Odumase and processed into Borassus flour and composite bread. Phytochemicals constituents were determined in both products using aqueous and methanol extracts.

Results: The results of both aqueous and methanol extraction for the phytochemical testing indicated that the raw B. aethiopum powder (RBAP) contained flavonoids, saponins, phenols, cardiac glycosides, alkaloids, triterpenes, steroids and sterols. Borassus bread contained flavonoids, alkaloid, triterpenes, steroids and sterols in both extracts, whilst cardiac glycosides, saponins and phenols maintained their strong presence in both extracts of composite Borassus bread. Tannins were absent in both extracts of B. aethiopum powder and bread composite. Also, the total phenol content in the composite bread was lower compared with the Borassus flour (P=0.000). The total antioxidant capacity in the Borassus flour (EC50= 2.1±0.24 mg/mL) was significantly higher than the composite bread (EC50=2.24±0.4 mg/mL) (P= 0.000). However, both products had less antioxidants than standard ascorbic acid (EC50=0.12±0.2 mg/mL).

Conclusion: Both Borassus flour and composite bread had appreciable phytochemicals present, with some antioxidant capacity which could beneficially help in the management of people with chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.